Throughout the years we’ve all had our favorite actors and actresses, my own favorites include John Cusack, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hanks, Rebecca Ferguson, Johnny Depp, Jessica Chastain, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Zoe Saldana, Kevin Kline, and Karen Gillan; throughout the last five to ten years, as movies have changed, and we’ve seen almost as much disparity between really well made movies and movies that have been so poorly made that I weep for the entertainment industry, as we have throughout our political climate, there are two actors and two actresses that seem to consistently stand out among the rest, Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jessica Chastain and Rebecca Ferguson. In this post, I want to focus on Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Ryan Gosling’s name has become synonymous with versatility and depth in the realm of acting. From his breakthrough role as a minor character in Remember the Titans, followed by The United States of Leland, only to explore his dynamic as an actor through his heart-wrenching performances in The Notebook and Blue Valentine. Gosling has developed as an actor who seems to be able to pick a role out of a hat and then to effortlessly immerse himself into the character, bringing a sense of authenticity to each one. Ryan Gosling’s ability to convey a wide range of emotions with subtlety and nuance is a testament to his exceptional talent, after watching him in dramatic roles such as Fracture, Drive, and the Ides of March, to his more comedic roles like, Lars and the Real Girl, Nice Guys, and Barbie, his ingenuity as an actor sort of slipped through the cracks for me for years before watching La La Land and the Gray Man, when something finally clicked. There are very few actors or actresses that can boast at least sixteen notable films over nearly a thirty-year career to date. Ryan Gosling, although well-known, is still genuinely underrated in the industry today.
Jake Gyllenhaal, however, has been a notable name in Hollywood since he was 11, with his debut role being the classic Billy Crystal film, City Slickers. What a film debut! Gyllenhaal has carved his name into Hollywood with films such as October Sky, Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, Brothers, End of Watch, Stronger, and Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. I first took notice of Gyllenhaal with the rest of my generation, with the cult phenomenon, Donnie Darko. Although October Sky was released a couple of years before. I would later come to appreciate his role as Homer Hickam more than that disturbed titular character that continues to haunt young twenty-somethings rebellious years. With that said, after watching October Sky, and recognizing that it was released before Donnie Darko, I did appreciate Gyllenhaal’s performance in the dark sci-fi classic better. Regardless, my favorite Jack Gyllenhaal movies include, The Day After Tomorrow, Proof, Zodiac, Brothers, The Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, Nightcrawler, and Southpaw. I have yet to see the Sisters Brothers or Road House; they are both on my watch list. Gyllenhaal is a true chameleon, often leaving actors in awe of his unparalleled performances, and showcasing a depth and complexity that few actors can match. Only after watching his performances do you stop and realize, “Oh, shit, that was Jake Gyllenhaal.” I've noticed too, that Gyllenhaal's more recent movies have a similar tone, almost as if the actor is filling a void in the Hollywood scene. Jake Gyllenhaal is playing more raw, gritty characters that supplement, kind of the "pretty, bad boy" and he's doing it well.
What sets Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal apart is their undeniable, and individual aptitude to become whomever they’re playing, regardless of the role, and despite the genre. There was a time in Hollywood when the cast made the difference, if a particular actor or actress was billed in a movie then that movie would almost always secure a position as the year’s best, that’s no longer the case. However, if Ryan Gosling or Jake Gyllenhaal are among the cast I can almost guarantee the film is worth watching. Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal are not simple actors, they are storytellers, who have mastered the art of captivating audiences with their unparalleled talent. Their ability to breathe life into every character they portray sets them apart as two of the best actors in the world today.